Venetian blind slat tilting device



May 8, 1962 N. J. QUARVE VENETIAN BLIND SLAT TILTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 1, 1959 INVENTOR Norman J. Quorve ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,033,282 VENETIAN BLIND SLAT TILTING DEVICE Norman J. Quarve, 3066 S. Buchanon St., Arlington, Va. Filed Sept. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 837,439 2 Claims. (Cl. 160-176) This invention relates to Venetian blinds and particularly to new and useful slat tilting means therefor, whereby movement of blind slats may be greatly facilitated.

The novelty and utility of the instant disclosure primarily consists in the elimination of the conventional gear-pulley or rotating wheel type tilting arrangements heretofore utilized to occasion the tilting movement herewith concerned. In so eliminating these arrangements of the prior art; the instant structure being substituted in lieu therefor, the well known slat-tilting cords familiar in conventional Venetian blinds are no longer necessary. The usefulness of this invention lies mainly in its mechanical simplicity, the number of and the complexity of moving parts having been greatly minimized.

Consonant with the foregoing the principal object of this disclosure is to teach the construction of a Venetian blind which is extremely economical of manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to increase the aesthetic qualities of Venetian blinds through elimination of a considerable portion of its external operating mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplified slat moving embodiment adaptable to any conventional Venetian blind.

The following is a full, clear and concise description of that which the inventor regards as his invention. Other objects and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent in the said description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a Venetian blind assembly embodying the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along 2-2 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the rotary movement of the tilt-flap assembly and of the tilt-plate assembly affixed to the blind slat;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the tiltflap assembly showing a cross-sectional view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view taken along 44 of FIG- URE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the tilt-plate assembly shown afiixed to a section of a blind slat.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to FIGURE 1 thereof, the major members of the novel slat tilting device are designated generally as and 20, the tilt-plate and tilt-flap assemblies respectively.

Tab *2 integral with or otherwise connected to tilt-plate face 22, when urged upwardly or downwardly will cause blind slat 18, illustrated in FIGURE 5, to rotate about its longitudinal axis. The angular motion imparted to slat 18 is transmitted linearly to ladder tape members 64 and 70 through the parallel tape components 30 and 32 of tape member 64. Clockwise angular rotation of slat 18 will cause tape component 30 to move downwardly while upward linear motion will be imparted to tape component .32. Counterclockwise angular rotation of slat 18 will result in reversed motion of tape components 30 and 32. Thus, it is seen that movement of each of the parallel slats cradled loosely between ladder tapes 64 and 70 is conditioned upon the initial movement imparted to key slat 18 through tilt-plate assembly 10 attached thereto. It is further seen that ladder tape 64 contributes actively towards creating simultaneous slat motion while ladder tape 70 plays the inactive role of contributing support to one end of the slats.

The operability of this invention depends primarily upon the interdependent relationship between the aforementioned tilt-plate arrangement and the tilt-flap member 25 illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. While the tilt-plate assembly performs the function of transmitting motion through ladder tape 64 to the blind slats cradled therebetween, tilt flap 25, performs the equally important function of facilitating the corresponding upward and downward movements of ladder tape components 30 and 32.

Referring to FIGURE 5 it is observed that pins 8 and 16 slidably received within hinge-like members 6, provide fastening means adapted to securely clamp tape components 3i and 32 to tilt-plate assembly 10.

Tape components and tilt-plate assembly are thereby fastened substantially along the locus of points defining the intersections between slat 18 and the said ladder tape components. The import of these firmly connected junctures is realized when observation reveals that the slightest slippage along the said loci destroys coordinated, unified movement of the blind slats in the Venetian blind assembly.

Inasmuch as a directional force applied to tab 2 must transmit the said force to key slat 18, accomplishment of a rigid relationship between tilt-plate assembly 10 and key slat 18 is imperative. To that end integral edge hems 4, folded inwardly over face plate 22, furnish the necessary holding means. A flexible aluminum, steel or plastic blind slat 18, whichever is employed, may he slid under hems 4 of one side of plate 22, flexed or bent slightly and thereafter allowed to return to the initial configuration thereof while sliding beneath receiving hems 4 positioned on the other side of plate 22. In the event inflexible slats are utilized, fixation of key slat 18 to tiltplate assembly 10 could be accomplished by crimping open end flanges over the slat edges to form slat-holding hems 4. Tilt-plate face 22 and key slat 18 are similarly arcuate or fiat depending upon the configuration of the blind slats. That is, in order to effect congruity between the tilt-plate face 22 and the key blind slat 18, the tiltplate assembly is shaped accordingly. Oval slot 12 in tilt-plate face 22 is in registry with the blind slat opening provided to accommodate lifting cord 14. While the Venetian blind assembly embodiment illustrated in the drawing indicates lifting cord 14 as guided within oval slots 12 positioned between the parallel components of ladder tape members 64 and 70, it is to be understood that said lifting cord may be positioned without the said ladder tape members as well. In the event this becomes desirable, oval slots 12 must, of course, be positioned accordingly. Regardless of lift cord position with respect to the ladder tape members, however, further stringing of said cord will usually be accomplished as shown in the drawing. Cord 14, in doubled form, is received into head support member 26 through an aperture 52 shown in FIG- URE 4. A conventional locking device is positioned at or near aperture 52, said locking device serving to hold doubled lifting cord 14 against slippage, thereby permitting Venetian blind level determination. Upon passage through aperture 52, one element of cord 14 passes through opening 68 while the other element of cord 14 passes through opening 54, said openings being located in the top walls of tilt-flap assembly housings 20. As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, openings 68- and 54 are struck in said housings to form a rounded bearing surface guarding against attrition with lifting cord 14. Cord 14 thereafter passes through oval slot 15 located axially within tilt-flap assembly 25. According to FIGURES 1 and 4 of the drawing, two tilt-flap assemblies are utilized. However, regardless of the number of said assemblies provided, all will be passive except the assembly cooperat- Patented May 8, 1962' 3 ing with the aforedescribed tilt-plate assembly; the latter will be active in that it will transmit rotary motion to the passive tilt-flap assemblies through shaft 48, e.g., which is journalled within bearing openings 51 formed by the complementary matings of upper casing 24 and lower casing 23, forming housing 20.

The unexpected and unprecedented performance of the tilt-flap assembly 25, according to this invention, is primarily responsible for the many advantages inherent in its adoption. Tilt-flap assembly 25 operates in the nature of a damper rotating on one of its axes, its flap members 34 and 56 moving about their fulcrum in teterboard fashion. Said flap members may be of any reasonable thickness or shape. Its axial shaft is bifurcated into components 44 and 46 thereby avoiding interference with lifting cord 14 passing through oval slot 15. Ladder tape components and 32 in the embodiment illustrated, are draped over and across flap members 34 and 56. The portion of the ladder tape so draped is designated 28 and can be readily seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. Arranged in this manner, ladder tape member 64 functions as a continuous conveyor belt transmitting the motion imparted to it through tilt-plate assembly 16 through ladder tape components 30 and 32 to tilt-flap assembly 25 and thereafter simultaneously to each blind slat cradled between said ladder tape components. Of major significance is the fact that the tilt-flap members 34 and 56 maintain parallel separation between the ladder tape components, thereby avoiding binding which would otherwise occur against several of the upper blind slats proximately related to the upper support member. Ladder tape portion 28 may be bonded to the tilt-flap assembly, slippage being eliminated thereby. Spring urging means 50, illus dated in FIGURES 3 and 4, is provided to control the degree of the motive power required to be exerted against tab 2 and also to assure immobility of the blind slats once they are tilted to a desirable position. Spring means need not be provided against the shafts of the passive tilt-flap assemblies, the only requirement with respect thereto being freedom of motion in pantomime of the one active tilt-flap assembly.

Therefore, in accordance with the objects of this invention previously set forth, one skilled in the art can readily observe that the novel Venetian blind tilting device herein described presents an apparatus that is radically simple to operate and unprecedentedly easy to manufacture.

Alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the invention being not limited to that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specifications but only as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A Venetian blind tilting device comprising in combination, a head support member, a tilt-flap assembly rotatably journalled within said head support member, a pair of ladder tape components depending downwardly from the edges of said tilt-flap assembly, a plurality of parallel slats cradled and guided between said parallel tape components, a tilt-plate assembly being substantially transversely shaped as the said parallel slats, said tilt-plate assembly having a face plate with integral edge hems folded inwardly over said face plate, an oval slot opening in said face plate in registry with an opening provided in said one of said parallel slats, hinge-like members spacedly positioned integrally of the lengthwise edges of said face plate and pins slidably receivable within said hinge-like members to securely clamp said ladder type components to the lengthwise edges of said tilt-plate assembly, and a tab member extending outwardly of one of the lengthwise edges of said tilt-plate assembly.

2. A Venetian blind tilting device comprising in combination, a head support member, at least a pair of tiltflap assemblies rotatably journalled within said head support member, a pair of ladder tape components depending downwardly from the edges of each of said tilt-flap assemblies, a plurality of parallel slats cradled and guided between said parallel tape components, a tilt plate assembly being substantially transversely shaped as the said parallel slats, said tilt-plate assembly having a face plate with at least two hems spacedly folded inwardly over each of the respective lengthwise edges of said face plate and adapted to firmly retain a parallel slat therein, an oval slot opening centrally positioned in said face plate in registry with an opening provided in said parallel slat, a pair of hinge-like ears spacedly positioned between said at least two hems on each of the respective edges of said face plate and longitudinal pins having right-angled bends at one end adapted to frictionally slide within each of said pair of hinge-like ears to securely clamp said ladder tape components between the lengthwise edges of said tilt-plate assembly and said parallel slat, and a tab member extending outwardly of one of the lengthwise edges of said tilt-plate assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,164,556 Udstad July 4, 1939 2,532,617 Hauser et al. Dec. 5, 1950 2,625,220 Ferreira Jan. 13, 1953 

